Harkins' Lab Home

My laboratory is currently conducting research in the fields of neuroscience, tissue engineering with biomaterials, and analytical chemistry.

The primary goal of the lab is to investigate and improve upon nerve regeneration in 3-dimensional scaffolds to accurately and functionally reform nerve connectivity to target tissues.

The laboratory bridges the biophysical and biomedical engineering fields of research. Our approaches include 3-dimensional scaffold biomaterials that occur naturally or are synthesized. The scaffolds are used to grow neurons and study signaling molecules for appropriate reconnection and functional activity during regeneration. To measure reconnectivity, we utilize biophysical and analytical chemistry techniques of amperometry and patch-clamp analysis for neuronal communication as the connectivity of neurons is reestablished.

If you're interested in reading more about the projects and research questions, and how we approach the problems, click around on the research projects, read about the people who are actively doing the work and who have been in the lab in the past. We try to post our protocols that we actively use, and publications that have resulted from this research.